Back Against the Wall
by Octoberose
Summary: Somehow, I had managed to do the impossible again. Me being the first girl werewolf EVER wasn’t enough- they had to go and make me imprint on a vampire.
1. Chapter 1

Why do the spirits hate me? What have I done in my past life to deserve this? Why were they ALWAYS pushing me back against the wall? Somehow, I had managed to do the impossible again. Me being the first girl werewolf EVER wasn't enough- they had to go and make me imprint on a vampire.

No not a half- vamp like Bella's spawn, but a full blown, blood sucking, century-old vampire. And to make matters worse, this vampire has been dating another beautiful vampire for hundreds of years. Great.

The worst part, however, is that I can't stop thinking about him- smell be damned. Once I locked eyes with Benjamin 'Whatever- his- last- name- is', I had forgotten all about Sam and Emily, me being the reason my dad died, this stupid-wolfy existence and my world had become revolved around tanned cheeks, dark spiky hair, and vivid blue eyes.

I should've never let Seth convince me to spend a Christmas with the bloodsuckers. I thought it would be the usual; Carlisle and Esme, Renesmee and her watch dog (also know as my Alpha, Jacob), Bella and her shadow (Edward), Seth, my mom and Charlie, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmet.

'When I had I taken the time to actually learn their names?'

Well I guess after about ten years of hearing the names constantly, one would have to learn them eventually.

And now I'm answering myself- the SURE sign of insanity.

I had walked into their big, glassy, beautiful home full of various elaborate Christmas decorations and immediately hated it. I was more attracted to dark, closed-in spaces.

In the living room, the 'family' sat around the tree, talking and laughing merrily. Everyone I had assumed to be there was there, but there were a few others. They looked like an ad for Christmas- with everyone being so beautiful and all.

The half-human, Nahuel was there staring at Jacob like he wanted to rip his head off. Then there was the two from the coven in Alaska. Then there was him, Benjamin.

As I entered the living room everyone's eyes practically bulged out of their heads for seeing me there. I glared at them all, basically telling them not to make a big deal out of it.

They were used to me spending Christmas alone. Mom had been married to Charlie for the last six years, and even four years before that they had spent every waking moment together. Charlie tended to spend Christmas with his daughter, Bella, who was a Cullen. And Seth followed the Cullen clan, Jacob, and Mom like a lost puppy so he naturally spent Christmas' at the Cullen's too.

They had practically begged me every year to come along, but I always respectfully declined by throwing something, morphing, and running off into the woods for a few days.

I could escape them physically, but I never could get the voices of Jacob and Seth out of my head- pleading with me to come back.

So that's how I eventually ended up here, standing awkwardly in the living room of the Cullen's, glaring at everyone.

"Welcome, Leah. Please sit and enjoy the festivities." Carlisle said in his 'Carislish' manner.

"Yeah, whatever", I muttered as I plumped down on one of the many floor pillows. From over in the corner, my mother smiled brightly at me and began to make her way towards my direction. Seth grinned and came to sit next to me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I shrugged him off.

"Leah, we're so happy you came and joined us. Charlie's been worried it was because you didn't like him." my mom said in that cheerful voice.

How could I not like the man that made my mom happy again?

"Of course that wasn't the reason. Charlie is cool," I said as I looked over at him, bobbing his head to the music in a off-beat manner and spilt eggnog all over his shirt. "Sometimes", I added as I snorted. Seth laughed.

Mom grinned and gave me a hug, I returned it weakly. She then went back to sit next to Charlie and began to clean him up.

"So why the change of heart?" Seth asked.

"Sam asked me to spend Christmas with him and his family." I said.

_I had been shopping in Forks when Sam, now aging, came into the store with Emily at his side and three little children trailing behind him: A set of twin girls (now four) and an eight year old boy. _

_I stared, not blinking at the children. I had made an effort to not see Sam for the past ten years. Emily's scar was almost completely faded- her pretty face almost fully restored. Both Sam and Emily stopped abruptly when they saw me staring at them…_ okay, maybe I was gaping_. _

_Emily was the first to break the awkward silence. _Funny how those always tend to pop up.

"_Leah, long time…" she said nervously. I got it. She was scared I was going to morph into a wolf, scratch her face again, kill Sam and maybe take her little hatchlings along for the ride. So instead I did the complete opposite, there was no way I was going to let them know how much my life completely sucked. _

_So I put a smile on my face- the muscles in my face hurt, they were so used to my set scowl._

"_Emily, Sam! Oh! And you have children!" I said brightly, channeling my mother's usual happy tone._

_Sam looked shell-shocked at my happy nature. I had to admit, it would be a bit creepy seeing me being so bubbly._

"_Oh, yes. These two are Ava and Olivia, they're four", she said pointing to the twins. "And this is Joshua, he's eight."_

_My smile tightened. _

"_Oh how…sweet", I said grinning down at them. Sam looked at me wearily- probably knowing what I was thinking. Those could have been my children, our children. They should have been. _

_It was amazing, how in a few minutes seeing Sam again had completely smashed the notion that I had convinced myself of- that I was completely over him. _

_The children gazed up at me with confused expressions- clearly sensing the palpable tension in the air._

"_Um…well, I'm about to go now." I said, shifting on my feet. As I began to make an abrupt exit, I heard Sam call my name._

_I turned around, looking him square in the eye- the façade washed away from my face. He wanted to tell me something, I could see it in his eyes- but he couldn't say it, not with his wife and children right beside him._

_So instead he settled to invite me over for Christmas at their 'home'. And I respectfully declined, saying I had plans. He had nodded, understanding and I had turned back around. I had turned away from him, and I decided right then and there that it would stay that way forever._

"Thought it would be something like that," Seth grinned.

"Shut up.", I said, punching him arm.

"Cant believe he asked you over. Like you're the bringer of holiday cheer." He said sarcastically and snorted.

"Gee thanks, Seth. With little brothers like you, who needs the Sams' in the world?"

"It's what I'm here for", he said cockily. I smacked him on the head.

"You know that child abuse is punishable by law, right?" Charlie said grinning as he came over to us.

"Cuff me. Anything is better than sitting here with him." I said smirking.

"Oh my gosh! Leah is smiling…well sort of. It's a miracle!" Seth said loudly as he got up and paraded around the room.

"I wasn't smiling, you idiot!" I said angrily. "I was smirking!"

I got up and chased him. The more he laughed, the more I growled. I could see the people around me laughing at Seth's antics.

"Leah smiled. Leah smiled. She smiled. She smiled." he chanted in between laughs. I tackled him to the ground.

"Shut up!" I said over him.

"Leah, dear. Your brother is just having some fun." my mom said from over us.

"At my expense." I said while still seething. I knew it was stupid, but here I was in room full of bloodsuckers and others that were generally awkward around me- and he was making it quite obvious that I was always in a depressed mood.

I got up off of him and went outside and sat on the porch. Being close to nature always calmed my anger. Staring at the darkening skies, and snow covered forest- the anger began to seep out of me and I began to feel very childish over my behavior.

I heard footsteps coming in my direction, but the scent reached me before the person did. It was a bloodsucker, probably Jasper or Carlisle sent to calm me down because everyone else was too scared to do it.

But instead it was Benjamin (I didn't know his name then) but I had recognized him as the visitor sitting on the couch, staring into the fire.

When I looked at him, I didn't look in his eyes- _I should've never looked in his eyes._

"Nice night, huh? We don't usually get snow…or anything cold for that matter, in Egypt- well except when I want us to." he said while tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Uh, yeah. Sure" I said confused as to why he was talking to me.

"I'm Benjamin. Ben, for short", he said sitting down beside me. This one was bold.

"Leah.", I said, not taking my eyes off the landscape.

There was an awkward silence…something I was used to because awkward silences seemed to follow me like a shadow.

"So what brings you to Forks?" I asked, not really caring but it was something to break the silence.

"I just got sick of home- if I could call it that." he said.

"I know the feeling." I said. Suddenly, he made a flame- protruding from his hand.

"You're on fire, how did you…", I said as I stared at him. And then I remembered him from long ago- helping the Cullen's save Renesmee. I remembered him having the power to control the elements. I also remembered Tia, his mate and Amun, the man he had always argued with- the one who wanted to use him as a weapon. But as I looked into his blue orbs, none of that registered anymore.

It was just him- and my need to be with him at all times and make him happy.

I smiled at him, and he smiled back weakly obviously feeling the same thing but confused as to why he was.

Falling in love in ten seconds flat **is** kind of unusual.

In the distance of my mind, I could hear Seth choking on his eggnog and Jacob's snickering.

They knew I had imprinted.


	2. Chapter 2

I had never been the type for those chick flicks. You know the ones'- they require you to curl up in front of the couch in day old sweats with a tub of ice-cream in hand for full enjoyment.

You cry your heart out while watching clichéd story lines about geeky teen girls who fall for strapping, young jocks and somehow get the man in the end. And right before the kiss with the cheesy 80's music backtrack, they both stare at each other like they are just seeing each other for the first time. _Okay, so maybe I HAVE seen a few chick flicks._

Well, I've personally never understood those moments. Even with Sam nothing that stupidly romantic had ever happened- and up until now I was quite happy it hadn't.

So as I'm staring into Ben's eyes, sitting on the porch outside in the cold, my family enjoying the festivities inside of the Cullen Manor (or whatever they call it), I am mentally kicking myself to snap out of it. But all my brain could process was blue eyes, and I had to say something to break the silence so I said…

"Blue", I murmured softly. So softly that any human wouldn't of heard it.

_Wow, Leah…'blue', that's just beautiful- really, Shakespeare would be green with envy. _

As I mentally admonished myself, I missed Ben saying something.

"Wh...What?" I stuttered, snapping out of my trance. _I've been having a cruise-load of trances lately, seriously- I have GOT to be ADD. _

"What do you mean blue?" he said looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh um…" _Think Leah, Think! Come on, use that paramecium brain for something! _

"You have blue eyes…how is that? Most of the vampires I know have either red or light brown eyes."

_Brilliant! You formed legible sentences AND came up with a good excuse all in one go! _

"Oh, yeah. It's one of my gifts. I can manipulate my eye color like I can manipulate the elements. I can only do four colors, though- blue for water, red for fire, green for earth, and yellow for air. I usually keep them red especially during gatherings, helps me fit in you know? But with the humans being here…" Ben drifted off, knowing the rest was self explanatory.

"Cool", I said nervously. _And just like that I'm in hyper -idiot mode once again. _

We sat in silence for a few minutes…again.

"Why aren't you with Tia?" I blurted out. I was always the brazen type.

He wrinkled his forehead.

"I…I…," he started but eventually settled for "she didn't feel up to coming." He hung his head slightly, a feeling of sympathy shot through me…and I never sympathize, at all.

"But you've never came before, so why the change now?" I didn't actually know this; I was just taking a shot in the dark.

"Why not the change?" he said tersely. _This kid was staring to piss me off with these roundabout answers._

"Will you stop avoiding the question?"

"You are one nosy werewolf lady, you know that?"

"You are still avoiding the question."

He sighed loudly.

"Fine, I feel like Tina and I have grown apart, okay?"

"So you come to America to share Christmas with the Cullens?" I rhetorically asked.

I was actually starting to get angry at him. If he had never came here in the first place I would have never imprinted on him; I wouldn't have the need in the back of my head to fulfill his every wish and desire…_dirty thoughts_.

"Why do you sound so upset?" he asked, staring me down with those damn artificial blue eyes.

"I'm not upset", I lied while trying to avoid his eyes. And then another silence hit us. _Really, one girl should not have these many awkward silences in one lifetime- It's just unnatural._ This time neither of us had to break it because Seth did it for us.

"What are you doing out here, Leah?" he asked slyly. It marked the 487th time I asked God what I had done to lose my happy status as an only child.

"Breathing", I said while glaring at him. I was giving him my best 'you-better-not-tell-Ben-I-imprinted-on-him' glare. It had the desired effect. He began to slowly back away.

"Well I see you two are cozy out here, don't want to interlope on the mood." he said as he winked at me.

I made a big show of rolling my eyes at him as he walked away.

"Well, your brother certainly has…character", Ben said, flashing a heart stopping smile._ It really was a heart-stopping smile; I was scared I was in need of a defibrillator. _

I let out a small nervous laugh and looked down at my hands.

"Are you cold?" Ben asked despite himself. I could hear the double question in his tone- probably asking himself why he cared.

"No. So when are you going back?" I asked. A small part of me cheered when I remembered that this was just a vacation for him, this could all be put behind me. But a bigger part (the werewolf part) felt like taking a ball and chain and fettering him to my bedpost….._more dirty thoughts._

"Don't know. A few months, years…maybe never", he said while kicking lazily at the snow on the ground. That small part inside of me instantly stopped its cheering and hung its head sadly.

"Oh.", I said awkwardly, absentmindedly playing with a strand of my short hair.

"But what about you? I got the impression you aren't normally a bright ball of sunshine." he grinned.

"I certainly wouldn't win a Girl Scouts badge for being the most affable person." I said sarcastically.

"So what gives?" he asked, shifting near me. _Shifting is always a good sign when it's towards you._

"Wow, Ben. 'What gives?' Been picking up American slang, Ben?" I snorted.

"You do realize you just said 'Ben' three times in one sentence." he said chuckling. I actually hadn't- that had spewed out because I desperately needed to change the subject. I giggled when I thought back on it. Then I realized I had giggled…for the first time in, _forever_.

"I got you to laugh! If Seth could hear you now." he said while smiling. His smile was perfect and dazzling and…did I just say _dazzling_? I have definitely been hanging around Jacob entirely too much.

I put a mock scowl on my face, as he laughed.

"You're a jerk", I said folding my arms. _I can't believe I am flirting like this._

"I am a handsome jerk"_ I can't believe he is flirting like this…I can't believe he's that corny! _"You do realize that there is a room full of vampires who all look like Acrombie models right in the other room. Believe me, I'm used to it", I said grinning. _Since when do I grin? _

"Yeah, but I'm an Egyptian vampire…which means I'm naturally tanner and more handsome", he said cheekily.

I snorted. "Denial is an ugly thing." I said grinning at him.

"So what do you do? Job-wise?" he asked, completely changing the subject.

"I paint. I'm an artist." I stated.

"Figures. Most artists are moody."

"Stereotype, much?"

"Hey, it's not a stereotype if the person fits the mold!" he said defensively. "So what do you paint?"

"Usually dark stuff, but I have a feeling it's going to be a bit brighter from now on." I said grinning at him. He grinned back.

In the distance, I heard Seth snort and mutter, "so corny…"

I felt that marked the end of this conversation because for once Seth was right.

Who is this happy, flirty person because it's certainly not me? I had spent the last decade hating the idea of imprinting, how it changed a person, took away their free will… and here I was, conforming within minutes. There was no way I was going to be like Sam.

It doesn't matter if every cell in my body was screaming for me stay near him.

I grit my teeth , figuratively of course, and bared it. Slowly I rose from the cold porch and walked back towards the entrance. Ben watched me rose, (but not in the creepy, leering way) and scuffled around as if unsure on whether to follow me or stay.


	3. Chapter 3

'I hate this. I hate _this_. I _hate_ this. _I_ hate this.' I chanted in my head as I stared at the blank canvas in front of me. Trying to take my mind off Ben proved nearly impossible as irrational worries flew through my head.

'What if something happens to him?' pops up most frequently. Then it is countered with my common sense telling me that he is a vampire- nearly indestructible.

'What if he's lonely? Maybe I should go see him…' is the second most regular. Then I remind myself that I am fighting the urge. Plus, I can't fathom how I'm going to tell him that I imprinted on him. But I know I'm going to have to spill soon, seeing as it's physically hurting me to stay away.

'What if he's with _her_?' is the third most recurrent, but by far the most annoying. Tia. I hardly noticed the chick all those years ago and now all I ever think about is how she can take Ben away from me; when I don't even have him in the first place.

Sighing, I glance over at my other finished paintings lying propped against the wall- all of them have some attribute of Ben. One of the paintings is all blue, the tint of his favorite eye color. Another painting has representation of the elements and the last one is Egyptian themed.

Then I glance at the clock, and was stunned to realize that it was already 5 am. I had stayed up all night painting. Knowing it was feeble to even try to get some last minute sleep, I began getting ready for the new day.

My apartment was enclosed and dim. Seth had remarked that it reminded him of a tomb when I first moved here. But I had felt it set the atmosphere I was going for: secluded and morose. Plus, I got to rent it cheap because no one else had wanted it.

As I walked over to my closet, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes immediately stood out to me- they looked…different. But I couldn't quite place what had changed.

Grinning at my insightful thoughts, I went back into my daily schedule that now included daydreaming about a certain Egyptian vampire.

Two hours later, I found myself outside the Cullen's home. I knew Ben would be staying here- so I'm coming under the cover that I'm here to see Jacob and Seth.

Carlisle answered the door before I could even knock.

"Hello, Leah. We're starting breakfast, if you'll care to join us." he said politely. You gotta love Carlisle; he doesn't ask awkward questions like _'Why are you here?' _

I smiled warmly, nodding my head as I entered.

"And Ben is in the living room", Carlisle whispered so lightly that I could hardly hear him. I groaned. Jacob and his huge, gargantuan, colossal mouth! I was going to end him.

"Does he know?" I asked Carlisle quietly.

"Well, everyone has certainly been dropping hints. Especially Emmet and Jacob, so he knows something is going on. He just does not know what." Carlisle said.

I groaned again.

"Great, I should've known Emmet wouldn't be able to restrain the innuendos." I grumbled as we arrived in the kitchen. The food smelled incredible, and it was in that second that I realized how hungry I was.

Seth handed me a plate with all my breakfast favorites. I beamed at him and began eating.

There were quirks to having a jovial little brother who is _always_ hospitable.

"Who made this, it's incredible." I asked.

"Bella.", they are said simultaneously as they continued eating.

"She said eventually she was going to teach me.", Renesmee said from the island chair.

"I can't wait. We won't have to come here every morning to eat." Jacob confessed from beside her.

"What's so bad about eating here every morning?" Renesmee questioned while glaring at him.

"For starters, your dad can read minds. So he can hear, whenever I think about what we were doing last night." Jacob said.

"Jacob, we're married. He already knows what married people do- how do you think I got here?", she argued. I giggled. The conversation halted.

"Did you just giggle? Who are you and what have you done with my big, emo sister?" Seth asked looking confused. I scowled.

"You better not start cavorting around the room again, or I'll tear your head off.", I growled.

"And she's back." Jacob announced while grinning. The conversation picked up where it left off, but I didn't feel as hungry anymore. They were right, what was happening to me?

They, whoever _they_ are, say that love changes everyone. I was in love with Sam, and after he broke my heart, I had changed into a bitter person. But this is different. I'm not in love with Ben, I imprinted on him. Sure, he is my everything now but that shouldn't change me in any way. When the other wolves imprinted, their personalities remained unchanged. But here I was, laughing and giggling. Or maybe the change was for the result that everything with Sam, all of the hurt and guilt, had become so insignificant when I first locked eyes with Ben. Everything that had made me bitter in the first place now seems so trivial.

So I'm left with how I was before- a cynical yet compassionate young woman…not a forlorn one. For the first time since I was 18, I no longer feel like it is me against the world.

Sighing, I cleaned my plate in the sink and headed out the kitchen door. I had to face this. I had to tell him. Entering the living room and seeing him caused a bizarre sensation. On one hand, I was relieved because the pain had stopped but on the other, I felt incredibly nervous.

He immediately detected me coming in, and threw me a huge grin. Emmett sniggered in the distance and I realized we had an audience. From the look on Ben's face, I knew he had some clue what was going on. If vampires could blush, I'm sure he'd be scarlet red. I knew I might as well jump right into it.

"Er…Ben, can I speak with you for a moment?" I asked as eloquently as possible. Emmet was fully laughing now and I saw Bella hit him upside the head in the corner of my eye. I shot her a thankful grin.

"Sure.", he said as he got up. He followed me outside into the woods, my territory.

I went to a distance where none of the others would be able to hear us, except for Edward of course.

"So…" I began awkwardly.

"So.", he repeated, while smirking at me. 'Care to tell me why everyone has been shooting furtive looks and sprouting out sexual innuendos ever since you left? I know it's has more to do with your huge crush on me than anything…"

I blushed. "What! You're so egotistical, that's not even close.", I denied it.

He stared at me.

"Okay, it's a little close. I imprinted on you." I said while biting my lip.

"And what exactly does imprinting entail?" he asked

"You've seen Jacob and Nessie, right? It's like soon as I connected eyes with you, you've become my everything." I explained.

"I'm still a bit lost- even if that's awfully poetic.", he said while leaning against a tree. It became blatantly apparent why I imprinted on him; he is almost as disparaging as I am.

"Okay, before a werewolf imprints… it's like everyone they ever cared for are connected. And then when they imprint, all of these connections are cut and rewired to focus only on that person they imprint on. Imagine everyone you've ever loved or cared for being placed in the back of your mind. You still care for them, but they don't hold a candle to the person you imprinted on." I explained further.

"How does this affect the person who is imprinted on?" he asked, his flawless face revealed nothing but I could practically feel the mayhem permeating from him.

"Well, Jacob said that they feel a pull towards the person who imprinted on them- and they always feel safer and happier when they are around. Is that true?" I asked timidly.

"Somewhat. I thought it was just because I thought you were beautiful." He smirked.

_Great, how am I supposed to respond to that?_

"You're the vampire and you're calling me beautiful? Haven't you seen tons of beautiful vampires throughout your lifetime? Hey, how old are you anyway?" I asked, successfully stirring him away from the compliment. I've always hated compliments.

"I am exactly 22 years young. And I've been that way for nearly 212 years." he grinned.

"God, you're old." I laughed.

He snorted.

"Then you're a child.", he replied, effectively bringing out a scowl on my face.

"I am not a child." I argued in mock-anger. I knew he was just teasing.

"Right. So, _child_, what I want to know is where we go from here?" he asked as he began to evade the distance between us. _Then again, it is vampires' nature to be interlopers._

"I don't know, I'm kind of inclined to do whatever is comfortable for you." I answer shyly.

Sam was my first and only boyfriend…and that was so long ago. I've forgotten about how this dating thing works.

"How about we casually date?" he asked to my relief. I nodded and smiled.

"So, how about I take you somewhere tomorrow?" he suggested.

"You do realize that we are in Forks, Washington. Where are you planning on us going?" This town had everything of necessity, but when it came to dates, you better hope the other person likes landscapes and sunsets.

"I don't know, yet, but I'll figure something out..." he admitted. _At least he's honest and didn't throw me some cheesy 'it's a secret' line._

Then came an awkward silence, I've noticed we have an abundance of those.

"How about we…?" he suggested as he gestured towards the Cullen house.

"Good idea." I uttered as we both took off towards the house. With me not being in my wolf form, he made it back far more quickly than I did.

I walked up the steps and the first thing I heard was Emmett's voice:

"So, did you get a little Pocahontas action? You know what I mean, the natives welcoming the foreigners and all…" he asked Ben mischievously.

_He was dead…_


	4. Chapter 4

"Bloody hell!"

Never would I have imagined a British adage slipping from my mouth as I gazed down into a toilet. It was literally a bloody hell, extra emphasis on _bloody_.

No normal young woman who have shrieked at the sight of their period, but seeing as I've never been normal, that is not the case with me. I have been menopausal since turning into a werewolf all those years ago. I can't even remember the last time I had to dish out six dollars for pads at the local pharmacy. It's been that long.

The questions that popped into my head were unremitting.

Are they even still six dollars? How can this happen? Does this mean I can have children now? _How_ did this happen?

The only thing that has changed is my imprinting on Ben. It was the only plausible reason and it directly proved Sam's theory. It's all about continuing the line.

In shock, I leaned back against the cool marble of my toilet. The only thought running through my head was of having children.

I had long since accepted that I lost this ability when I became a werewolf. I had given up hope of ever having a cherubic, bouncing infant. Of ever having what so many women took for granted. I used to go and sit at parks and watch all of the little children scurrying around the play escapes. Watching the mothers console those who had skinned their knees, and admonishing those who ran from their parents when it was time to go.

I had watched feeling so detached, thinking that I was observing something I could never have. It was the main reason I had understood Bella's risky decision all those years ago to keep Renesmee.

Sighing, I flushed the toilet and washed my hands, looking at myself in the mirror.

I was getting too ahead of myself, already planning for children. Ben and I haven't even been on one date yet, and here I was already picking out names for our first born.

My reflection revealed nothing different about me, except for a subtle glow in my skin.

A _happy _glow.

I felt totally at loss of what to do next. My stomach answered that question for me- and since I can't cook to save my life, I headed over to my mother and Charlie's place- after dropping by the drug store only to find that pads were now 12 dollars. I was outraged to say the least.

Charlie's small house is much different from the house when Bella first arrived. Back then, it was decent and masculine- not one hint of a woman's touch anywhere. Now, there was traces of a small garden under the snow in the backyard, the porch had a sitting area, and the grass was much more verdant during the summer than it was before. A white picket fence surrounded the house, and there was even a welcome mat.

In other words, mom had totally feminized the house.

When I entered the house and was welcomed by the appetizing smell of my mother's cooking, I knew I had come to the right place. Grinning, I headed into the kitchen and plumped down in the chair. Charlie was already gone, and mom was cleaning up.

"Don't put that all away yet, I'm hungry." I said hastily, successfully scaring the crap out of my mother.

"Don't do that! I hate it when you and Seth do that!" she admonished. I giggled and gestured to the food. She shook her head and sighed.

"One day you're going to take that cooking lesson from me. I'm not going to be around forever to cook for you, you know.", she said as she handed me a loaded plate.

"I burn water, mother. So maybe, we'll get Carlisle to bite you and Charlie so you can cook for me forever." I grinned jokingly. I always pushed the- you could be immortal- option at her whenever I could.

"You won't be immortal forever, Leah. One day, you'll imprint or find some nice boy to grow old with." she said gently. I stopped eating and looked at her.

"Seth didn't tell you?" I asked. Usually, he can't ever shut his mouth.

"Tell me what, dear?"

"I imprinted. On Ben." I said, waiting for her reaction.

"Who's is Ben…Ben, Ben, BEN! That vampire? How can you imprint on a vampire. Is that possible?" she ranted.

"Obviously. And my period is back, which confirms Sam's theory. Imprinting is about reproduction." I told her, awaiting her reaction.

"So you mean, I'm going to finally have grandchildren?" she grinned, completely forgetting about the 'imprinting on a vampire part'.

"It's a little early for that, mom." I said, knowing I was being completely ignored.

I knew I was in trouble when she started firing questions about Ben and answering them herself.

"What's he like? He seemed like such a sweet, well-behaved boy. Does he like you? Of course he likes you, why wouldn't he? He's from Egypt, right? He showed me how to write my name with hieroglyphics. He was so charming. Do you think you can invite him over, now that he's part of the family?" she said all in one breath. I groaned.

"_Mom. _You have got to slow down. I'll ask him today." I said as I finished the rest of the breakfast.

"You're going to see him today!" she squealed. My mother had officially gone from a middle-aged woman to a 12 year old girl in five seconds flat.

"Yes. And actually, I have to go get ready." I confirmed as I gathered my things. I swiftly kissed her on the cheek and headed out the door.

"Call me later! I need details!" she yelled after me. I rolled my eyes while grinning and got into my car.

An hour later, I found myself in front of the same exact mirror I always glance briefly into. And I looked like I was heading to a funeral. Probably my own.

I had nothing to wear and I'm just now noticing it. The logical part of me acknowledged that it was because I never felt a need to dress up but the girl in me said I had no excuse.

And all of the colors were so dreary, except for a yellow dress that my mother had bought that made me look like an orange.

Another issue: I didn't know what was proper to wear. He had disclosed nothing about his plans. What if I showed up in a little black dress and we where heading to the movies or if I go casual and we end up at some French restaurant.

So for the next forty minutes, I had completely stripped my closet clean and was seriously considering throwing it all into the furnace down the hall.

All the while, I chanted to myself, 'I will not ask Alice for help. I will not ask Alice for help.' My chanting proved fruitless, seeing as Alice had a vision that I would need help an hour before he was supposed to pick me up. Bella must have decided to tag along, because there were two beautiful vampires in my living room. Enough to give any woman an inferiority-complex. No wonder my self-esteem was so shot.

They entered with tons of bags and bright cheery, perfect smiles.

"Leah! Why didn't you just ask?" Alice said as she drifted into the room gracefully. Alice doesn't walk, she drifts. And Bella wasn't much better.

"Why are you here?" I asked Bella. There was no need to ask Alice. She lived, well _existed_ for makeovers.

"Think of me as your life jacket while you're battling Tsunami Alice. Remember I was once her personal doll too." she whispered.

"Calling me a tidal wave won't discourage me.", Alice chimed from the other room.

We rolled our eyes in sync and headed towards my bedroom.

"Okay, we had Edward do a little digging in Ben's thoughts. He wouldn't tell us everything, but you definitely won't be going something that requires a cocktail dress and heels." Alice supplied.

"Thank god. I don't do well in heels." I said as I sat on the bed. It was best to just let them do whatever they wanted instead of fighting it.

"Your style is more boho-tom boy. These bangles would be nice. Oh and some lightly ripped jeans." she said as she pulled out various expensive looking items out of her bag. I giggled, thinking it was sort of like a fashion-Barney bag on the children's show I had avidly watched when I was younger. When I told Bella this she giggled too, Alice however, didn't get the joke.

"Some of these things _are _from Barney's. But the bag didn't come from there. I bought it cheap at Macy's.", she said absentmindedly. That just made us laugh more.

Alice took her revenge in the form of eyebrow tweezing. Sure my eyebrows looked fabulous after, but the pain was excruciating.

"My work here is done. Check it out. You look so boho-chiq, it's incredible." Alice gushed and she nudged me towards the mirror.

I was all dolled up in a floral sundress, with a vintage jean vest, plenty of bangles, long necklaces, a 200- year old ring, and some brown, fringed bohemian boots.

"Who cares if you are a genius, Alice? I sure don't. ", I said sarcastically as I turned from the mirror. She grinned, glowing in success. I glance at the clock, shocked to see I only had ten minutes before Ben would come and pick me up.

"You look gorgeous, Leah." Bella complimented as she helped Alice gather the 'supplies'. I smiled in thanks and helped them pack up.

There was a knock at the door. Ben was five minutes early.

I headed towards the door, only to have Alice beat me to it. She nudged me back into the room. At first I was confused and it must have shown on my face.

"You have to make an entrance." Bella explained as she rolled her eyes. I snorted. I listened through the door for my queue.

"…ready in a minute. She looks gorgeous. You're gonna flip when you see her.", Alice rambled.

I knew I had to come out before she chalked me up anymore. I grabbed my bag off of the closet doorknob and headed out.

I didn't know it was possible for vampires to get _paler_. I felt proud that Ben seemed at loss for words, not to say that he didn't look absolutely incredible. He's a vampire for god's sake- beauty incarnated. He definitely looked beautiful in his khaki pants, and light blue fleece shirt.

"You look gorgeous, Leah", he said.

"Thanks, you too", I said nervously.

I donned a timid smile on my face. It dropped when Alice's voice broke though my realm.

"Look at them, Bella. They look so cute together." Alice gushed. She pulled a camera out of the Barney bag, and I decided right then and there that the bag was evil.

Bella shot me an apologetic grin as Alice snapped a picture.

"I took the camera out of the bag; she must have snuck it back in there." Bella explained. I groaned- this was going to turn into a photo shoot.

"They grow up so fast!" Alice said cheekily as she snapped another picture. I could feel Ben was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Can we go now?" I asked desperately. He nodded earnestly and opened the door. We made our escape.

"Have fun, darlings!" Alice called after us.

Outside of my building was a brand-new, black Charger. I looked at him in question and he just shrugged.

"Is this a Cullen car?" I asked as we got in.

"No, I ran to Seattle yesterday and bought it. I also bought a house in Forks. ",he explained. I froze and looked at him questionably.

"So…you're really not going back?" I asked timidly. That and Tia had always been on the back of my mind.

He shook his head and grabbed my hand.

"Won't you miss it?" I asked. I knew if it came down to it, I would leave everything behind and go live in the sandy dessert with him if I had to. That scared me.

"I have everything I need here." he said as he squeezed my hand gently." Plus, Egypt gets tiring after a while. I'm ready for a change." he said confidently.

"Where are we going?" I asked- we weren't heading towards town.

"I've set up a picnic for us. Does that sound nice?" he asked.

"It's winter." I said while looking down at my attire.

"That would deter regular humans. Jacob said you werewolves aren't really affected by the snow. If you don't want…" he started, apologetically.

"No! It's fine. A picnic in winter seems nice."

A few minutes later, we had arrived at the spot. It was so romantic that I would've scoffed at it a week ago, but now I couldn't help but to swoon a little, _only a little_.

He somehow found a spot without snow, in view of an iced over waterfall and near a cliff, where you could see the snow-covered trees and mountains. It was post-card beautiful.

He went to the trunk of the car and pulled out a hefty brown basket and a thick red and white blanket.

Five minutes later, all of the food was spread out and I had only just remembered that Ben doesn't eat food. I told him this.

"Ben, you don't eat food." I stated as I looked at the spread. He snorted.

"Really? You'd think I'd have known that." he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious! It's going to be awkward eating while you just sit there." I explained.

"Don't worry I came prepared." he said, pulling out what looked like a McDonald's super-sized cup.

At first I was confused, but then the smell of blood permeated from the cup. Thankfully, it wasn't human blood, but a mixture of bear and mountain lion.

I snorted.

"Nice. Took a page from Renesmee." I said as I examined the food he had brought: Chicken, potato salad, spaghetti, and potato chips. A bottle of wine sat in the basket along with some bottled water and juice boxes.

"Planning to take advantage?" I grinned, as I gestured to the wine. He chuckled.

"Maybe.", he shrugged as he sipped from his cup. We ate in silence for a few minutes; luckily it wasn't awkward this time.

"I wish the waterfall was running." I said absentmindedly. Ben threw out his hand towards the fall. Its ice suddenly broke, the water roaring though and saturating everything in sight.

I gasped in wonder, as Ben grinned smugly.

"That was so cool. Show me more!" I clapped excitedly, feeling very much like a little kid at magic show.

"Maybe later, I don't want to disturb the elements anymore." he said wearily. I understood, growing up in a Native American reservation- it is drilled into your head to respect nature.

"You're right." I said as I ate a piece of chicken. He seemed surprised.

"Usually everyone badgers me to do it. Tia used to stop speaking to me for days when I refused to show my powers." he said as he scratched his head.

"I can feel that you don't want to be used, Ben. Plus, I'm Native American, remember? Don't get me wrong, I'm no tree-hugger, but I was taught to respect mother earth." I said nonchalantly.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he said as leaned closer to me.

"Of course I knew that." I said cheekily. He grinned as he pulled me closer.

This was it, our first kiss. Well it was until the stupid rain came down, shocking us both apart.

Ben quickly put up a shield. Whether he was manipulating the water or the air, I was unsure. All I knew was how cute he looked half-soaked. Grinning, I leaned back into him. Rain was not about to stop me from getting our first kiss.

But apparently Tia was…..


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, well, well. We've been apart for only a few weeks and already you run to the comforts of the locals." Tia drawled, her olive complexion practically shown. She was dreadfully beautiful, even while drenched from the rain and my stomach churned.

'How can I compete with _that_?' I thought grimly, as I glanced at Ben's shell-shocked face.

"T…Tia? What are you doing here?", he asked, seeming to snap out of his stupor. There was an immediate coldness about him that was directed towards Tia. His eyes had gone from a dark blue to a frosty grey. The rain around them began to turn to snow.

_Uh-oh, Tia is in trouble…proof that there is a God._

"We could have been great you, know. We could have taken down the Volturi, been more powerful than the Volturi. And what do you do? You waste your powers on some Indian mutt during a picnic! Cause you're weak, you've always been weak and you'll always will be weak."

_Oh no she didn't! She did not just call me 'some Indian mutt'! And Ben is NOT weak. I am going to end her!_

Angrily, I leaped up, feeling close to morphing.

"Leah, no. She's not worth it.", Ben said, noticing the hostile change in my demeanor.

"I'll rip her head off." I said angrily as I glared at Tia's beautiful, smirking face.

"Leah, _please_." he said as he grazed my arm. I immediately calmed down. If it was he wished, I had no choice but to surrender to him.

"Isn't that sweet?", Tia in a mocking voice.

_This girl was obviously not wise; she was jump-roping on thin ice._

"Why did you come here?" Ben asked bluntly. I was relieved that there seemed to no love lost between them. It was amazing that they had ever dated at all. In fact, by looking at their behavior now, one would confidently guess that they had been rivals, instead of lovers.

_Lovers. She had been his lover…_

"Amun needs you. Plus, I have been thinking about taking a vacation for a while now anyway. I'm sure the Cullens will welcome me after I stayed to help fight for Renesmee." Tia said confidently.

"You only stayed because I threatened never to use my powers again. I had to agree to do that horrible mission for you." he reminded her. I was confused at that statement but sure that he would elaborate later.

"That won't matter. But this isn't personal, Ben. Amun needs you this time. He's gotten himself into real trouble."

"Then he should get himself out of it. I made it clear when I left that I wanted nothing to do with you all anymore." Ben said as he stood. "I have a new life now. And it doesn't include you, Amen or Egypt all together." He bent down and captured my hand, pulling me up gently. I shot him a small smile

"I see. How easily you give up one hundred and fifty years of being together." Tia said as she gazed at Ben and my intertwined hands. He snorted.

"You never wanted me, Tia. You wanted my power." He said as he wrapped his arms around me.

Tia chortled at the sight.

"You and the werewolf. Classic. You never could go with the flow, could you? I never wanted your dull power." Tia said dismissively.

I snorted.

"De Nile isn't just a river in Egypt, honey. You should know that." I said smugly. Ben laughed.

Tia rolled her eyes. "I'll be back. You're going to fix this, Ben. I'm warning you, come to your senses. You don't want to bring trouble here, do you? They want the entire clan, not just Amun. They'll find you and the Cullens." Tia warned.

"Well then there is no problem. I'm no longer a part of your clan. Keep your self-inflicted problems in Egypt, Tia. I don't care if they rip you all to shreds.", Ben said coldly. I began packing up, sensing that the picnic was over before it even really started.

"They won't care about that, Ben. But I've warned you." Tia said while smirking. In a few seconds she was gone. The awkwardness in the air was so palpable I felt like I could take a butter knife and slice through it.

I sighed as he folded the blanket and replaced it in the basket.

"That was...eventful." Ben said while scratching his head. I snorted.

"That's one way to describe It.", I said as I picked up the basket. Ben opened the trunk for me and my door. A few minutes later, they were already gone from the beautiful picnic site.

"I'm sorry she ruined our first date, Leah. I'll make it up to you." he said as he drove.

"It's not your fault, Benjamin." I said as I gazed out the windows sadly. The verdant trees rushed by so fast, they blended together.

"Actually it is. I was sure I made it clear that I was cutting all ties to them when I left, but I guess they didn't quite get the message."

"Or, they aren't willing to let you go yet. Especially Tia. I'm sorry, but other than the beauty- what did you see in her?" I asked while averting my gaze to the side of his olive-toned face. He set his jaw, his eyes flashing.

"It's not what I saw in her, it's what I didn't see. When we were human, we were betrothed. She was nice and sweet back then. Then one night, when we were taking a stroll, Amun had cornered us. They were going to dispose of her, but I begged him to keep her alive. He bit the both of us. But he always regarded Tia as useless, a commodity. Every year, she turned bitterer about my powers. We spent the next 150 years together, and I kept blinding myself to the envious looks she'd shoot me. There were times when I used my powers and she'd have this complete look of avarice on her face. Sadly, it wasn't until a few weeks ago when I finally realized how corrupted she had become. She's not the same girl from all those years ago, far from it." He said.

His eyes looked distant, as if he was gazing at something I could not see. I knew he was replaying the memories of Tia in his head: all of the good, bad, and unbelievably ugly. All of the red flags he had chosen to ignore.

"I'm sorry." I said as I grabbed his spare hand and squeezed it gently.

"Don't be. If things were all peachy, I wouldn't be here with you, now would I?" he grinned.

"'All peachy"'? You have definitely been picking up on too many American phrases." I giggled.

He mockingly rolled his eyes and pulled over abruptly in the middle of nowhere.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as he got out of the car. It had stopped raining and the ground was covered with slushy snow.

"I decided I'm not going to let Tia ruin our first date." he yelled from the back of the car, as he removed the picnic basket. I watched jovially from the passenger seat as he dried the ground of snow and shifted the ground so that there was a small hill in the shape of our picnic blanket.

He then helped me out the car and sat me down on his makeshift picnic spot.

"A roadside picnic? That's different." I remarked as I watched him reheat my food.

Ten minutes later we were eating and laughing. Well, in Ben's case _sipping_ and laughing.

But something had been plaguing me all day.

"Ben, what did you mean when you said you had to do that 'horrible mission' for her?" I asked as reclined in a recumbent position, using my elbow to support my head.

His smile faded as he gazed down into the straw of his cup.

"I wasn't going to abandon the Cullens and I knew they needed all of the help they could get. So I asked Tia to stay. It had taken a lot of silent arguing and threats, but she agreed. Afterwards, however, I had to pay the price when Tia manipulated me into sending Ethiopia into a drought for a year. A clan of vampires there had cheated her out of some money, so her solution was to make their entire country pay. Hundreds of humans had died that year because of me.", he said, his head hanging in ignominy.

"That's not your fault, Ben. It's Tia's.", I said as I scooted closer to him. I could smell his scent and registered that he smelt nothing like vampires usually do. We were so close, and from the way Ben's frame froze, he noticed it too. Next thing I knew, I was caught up in his blue eyes, our heads moved together in their own accord.

Just as cold, soft lips captured mine, a voice broke through the blissful silence.

Charlie's voice.

I groaned. The world seemed hell bent against Ben and I kissing. First the ex girlfriend, now the step-dad.

"Leah? You're the cause of the disturbance?' Charlie asked.

"Disturbance?" I asked, my irritation was blazoned across my face. It was official; Charlie was receiving socks for his birthday. That sports DVR I had bought was about to be thrown from a 20 story building.

"You're only supposed to park on the side of a highway if it's an emergency. Picnics are definitely out. If you weren't my daughter, you'd be receiving a hefty fine." Charlie explained.

"Sorry _dad_", I said sarcastically. Charlie grinned at my light banter. His eyes flicked to Ben.

"Oh yeah, Sue said something about the imprinting thing. I thought that you guys were allergic to their venom." Charlie said looking confused.

My insides went cold. It was ironic that it took a human to bring up a fact that both werewolves and vampires had completely forgotten about.

I gasped, while hyperventilating. My response to Charlie was to faint. My last thought before darkness took me was that Emmet was never going to let me live this down.


	6. Chapter 6

For the next few days, there were dramatic reenactments of _'Leah's Great Faint_', or as Jasper so aptly named it "_The Blackout of 2016', _all dramatically performed by the family pre-Madonna, Emmett_. _My personal favorite was "_The Rise and Fall of Leah_", since as soon as I was helped to my feet, I stumbled and fell again.

I had been so embarrassed, that I asked Charlie to take me home, and bid a red-faced goodbye to Ben. My first kiss with Sam hadn't even been that bad, and there had been braces involved.

Now, as I sit in a paper filled desk at one of the only functioning galleries in Forks, I could only focus on the cause of my fainting in the first place.

_The Spirits have to be smoking on something. Or they just have a really warped sense of humor._

"Cleartap! Dear, are you daydreaming again? I told you, only real artists daydream. Clear your head of your frivolous daydreaming and come and help me hang my spring masterpiece!" chirped my boss, Madame Duffers.

The woman was a character…a character who insisted on being called Madame but wasn't French, who wore so much makeup, you'd think it was acrylic paint, and one who didn't pay attention anyone but herself. This worked out fairly well for me. I've worked for the woman for almost seven years now, and she has yet to notice that I don't age, nor does she ever bother to learn my last name. Despite the fact that I've corrected her 856 times since the eight years I've been working here.

"It's Clearwater." I corrected. _857_.

"Un-germane to the issue." she tutted, as she focused on the over-lit wall where a big, hideous, monstrosity of a painting stood. With the woman's character and dressing style, I would have expected her artwork to be gaudy and ostentatious. The completely blank canvas with a single, child-like flower painted in the direct middle, clearly debased my early notion. No wonder why her stuff never sells. The only reason the gallery is still open and I'm still getting a weekly paycheck, is because Madame Duffers had married very well. "What so you think. The painting is marvelous of course. But something seems a bit off." She squared her hands in front of her eyes, doing all of the clichéd 'artist' movements in one minute flat.

"The painting is hung crooked." I remarked as I glanced at the unremarkable thing that took up nearly half the wall. Together, we hung it correctly, and it made no difference. I glanced irritably at the clock, and sighed when it revealed that I have four hours before I can make my escape.

_Time seemed to be moving backwards_.

"I think I'm going to take my break now." I said as I grabbed my keys. Duffers nodded nonchalantly, her gaze still focused upon her 'masterpiece'. As I opened the door to leave, she called out.

"Give me a low-cal, mocha with no foam from _Coronels'_. And make sure its steaming!" she said, even though I hadn't offered. I never do. Luckily for me, I was heading to _Coronels'_ in the first place- it was Fork's version of Starbucks.

The cold hit me like an arctic blast. Usually, I don't feel extreme temperatures, but this must have been one of those days that were so freezing, even werewolves were susceptible to its affects. Coronels was seven blocks from _Duffer's Exquisite Gallery of Art. _I had never noticed how far it was from the gallery. After about a block of walking in the freezing temperature, I was shocked when Ben's black Charger pulled up.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked demurely, thankful for the warm ride. Ben threw me a dazzling smile and started driving.

"You don't even know where I'm going!" I exclaimed as he pulled off.

"Yeah I do, I asked Madame Duffers, your boss. Then I had to make hasty escape because she seemed pretty close to attacking me." Ben explained.

"What!" I yelled. I felt the rage in me boiling.

"Whoa! Leah, calm down. Really, what could the woman do? I used to being mentally undressed." Ben laughed.

I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.

"Why do you work for me anyway? Duffers seems nutters. ", he asked, while keeping his eyes on me. I snorted at corny rhyme.

"I'm trying to save up money to buy my own shop one day. Plus, working for another artist in a gallery is good experience. She used to be a big name in New York apparently, until she had some sort of meltdown about twelve years back." I answered.

"Do you think you're ready for that, to maintain your own gallery?" Ben asked as we pulled up to the coffee shop.

"Yeah. I really am. Do you think I can do it?" I asked him as he helped me out of the car.

"As corny and after-school program as this sounds, I think you can do whatever you put your mind to." He answered truthfully. I smiled. "Then again, I haven't seen your artwork yet." he added.

"I'll show you some stuff tomorrow." I replied as we entered the empty coffee shop. The cars on street were sparse, people not willing to brave the unnatural cold.

After Ben and I ordered, we sat in a secluded corner of the shop. As I sipped at my double-chocolate espresso, Ben pushed his around. The originally comfortable silence had turned into awkwardness after about ten minutes.

"Which one of us is brave enough to bring up the elephant in the room?" I asked him. He grinned.

"I guess you are." he answered as he reached across the table and grabbed my hand. The feeling of our skin combined was amazing- it was if my hot balanced out his cold.

"You shouldn't be worried. Vampire venom only affects us. I couldn't harm you unless I scratched you", I said as I stared down at my warm cup.

"And I don't want to harm you. Maybe we should talk to Carlisle before jumping into anything. He seems to know just about everything." he suggested. I snorted, knowing it was true. Carlisle _did_ seem to know everything.

"I'm not scared you'll hurt me. And it seems like my body has been adapting to changes. Maybe since I've imprinted, I've become immune to vampire venom." I said meekly.

"Leah…I don't want to take that chance." he said while squeezing my hands gently.

"What's life without taking a few chances? I feel like it'll be worth it, just to know." I said determinedly.

"You're right. But it should be in front of people who could get you out if things get ugly." he said.

"I don't want our first kiss to be in front of everyone! It should be just you and me! I'm okay with taking the risk." I said defiantly.

"I'm not okay with it! How do you think Id feel if I were to…no. It's too risky. We kiss in front of witnesses or not at all." he said, squaring his perfect jaw. I felt my resolve weakening.

"O…Okay." I yielded.

"I'll make it up to you tenfold, Leah." he said as he rubbed my hands.

"That's if I'll survive your kiss…" I said jokingly, but instantly knew it was the wrong thing to say. His face hardened into a determined mask, and I was suddenly struck by the second time I've ever empathized with Bella Cullen. She had told me of Edward's stony resolve when it came to intimacy in her human years.

"We should go. We don't want you to be late for Duffers." he said as he pulled out my chair. I nodded weakly, and headed over to the counter to order Duffers' drink.

When he dropped me off, he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek and opened the door for me. I smiled feebly at him as he pulled off.

_Way to go_, Leah. My only consolation was that by the time I entered the shop, the 'masterpiece' was torn from the wall, and Duffers was having a fit of sobs on the floor. At least I wouldn't have to see that fugly painting anymore- there was always a silver lining. No matter how thin it always seemed to be.


	7. Chapter 7

"So… you want to kiss in front of us…" Carlisle reiterated

"Preferably when Emmett is not around." I added quickly.

"This could be very dangerous for you. And unfortunately I don't know if I'll be of much help. Vampires typically don't care of werewolves' health, so there is no known cure for a werewolf who has been infected with our venom. Do you know of any remedies or nostrums that your people use if touched by vampire venom?"

My heart sank. Carlisle almost never '_not knows anything'_. The only other time he's been completely at loss was during the birth of Renesmee.

"Not really. My great- grandmother used to prattle about some recipe book that held the secrets of 'warding away unholy illnesses'. But that could have been referencing to anything." I recalled as I shuffled my feet on Carlisle's undoubtedly expensive office carpet.

"Can you get me that book? And any other old remedies book?" he asked. I nodded my head, still slightly disappointed that he won't be able to help.

"In the meantime, Leah, maybe you should ask Edward and Bella about this, seeing as their situation was once so similar to yours. Edward could probably give Ben a few pointers." He suggested.

I nodded again. I've been doing that a lot lately.

"I'll go get the book. Though I'm not sure it will be much help. It's just full of traditional cures for everything from chicken pox, to a mysterious burn in the lower regions." I informed him, as I exited his office.

Just as my foot touched the stairs, I heard Emmett's car pull up, its powerful engine roaring. As he entered the house, his face lit up mischievously at the sight of me. The second he opened his mouth to unleash some smartass comment, I interrupted him.

"DON'T. SAY. A. WORD! If you say anything about fainting, I swear to mother earth, that your cold body will soon return to her!"

He had the decency to atleast look scared for a few seconds as we stared each other down. But that certainly didn't last long.

"So, how'd ya like Ben's _cold _body?"

"Grrr…Aargh! I'll end you!", I yelled as I ran down the rest of the stairs.

"My word! Such anger! I've always wondered what a PMSing werewolf would be like." he said as he swerved out of the way of my attack, sending me hurtling into the arms of Ben. _Great. Where did he come from?_

"Well, I knew you'd be excited to see me, but not this excited." he said while grinning as he held me tightly. From the anger at Emmett's stupid jokes to my embarrassment at having thrown myself at Ben, I'm quite sure I am fire-engine red right now.

I didn't really know how to respond, so I settled on the lamest thing ever.

"H...Hi."

I stuttered saying 'hi'. Kill me now. It takes a special kind of idiot to stutter saying 'hi'.

"Hi.", he said sexily. He smirked down into my face and held me a bit tighter.

Great, I stutter on hi, and he makes it sound like a one-liner from a romance novel.

"I've talked to Carlisle," I started, "About our…dilemma."

"And what's the verdict?" he asked, his lips brushing my ear.

You know, I could just simply take my chances with this whole kissing thing. And even if I did die from a smooch, it wouldn't necessarily be the worst way to go.

Then again, that would be rather traumatizing for Ben. He'd have an eternity of listening to Emmett's poorly-timed 'kiss of death' jokes.

"I'm afraid he couldn't help much. There's no record of this type of relationship. But, I'm going to get my grandmother's Quieluete remedy book. It could possibly have a remedy for your venom if we decide to…well test…"

"If I kiss you. I won't take that risk with you, Leah. Hopefully there is a Quieluete remedy." He said determinedly. His damn determination to keep me safe only made me want to kiss him even more.

I sighed and stepped out of his embrace, while absentmindedly glancing at the clock.

"SHIT! I'm late for work! Duffers is gonna massacre me!" I immediately began frantically gathering my things and heading out the door.

"We can get there quicker if I drive." Ben offered.

"But I already drove here…"

"But my car is faster and safer. I's much rather escort you if you're in a hurry." He argued. I groaned. Did all vampires go the same 'how to be a chivalrous boyfriend' school?

"You sound like Edward. And I'm letting you know now, I'm no Bella. I'm not frail or accident prone. I can drive myself."

"I know youre perfectly capable of driving yourself, but honestly I just wanted to spend some extra time with you." He said in a pacifying tone. Oh , he is _good_. Now I feel guilty for being so sassy.

"I guess, that would be fine, then." I said sheepishly, to which he responded with a dazzling smile and ushered me out of the door.


End file.
